Jushioned heel



Feb. 26 192 4. 7 1,485,194

\W. T. M LAUGHLIN CUSHIONED HEEL Filed Feb. 20. 1923 Patented Feb. 26, 192 4.

UNITE-D STATES 1,485,194 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM T. MOLAUGHLIN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

JUSHIONED HEEL.

Application nled February 20, 1923. Serial No. 620,202.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVILLIAM T. Mo- LAUGHLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cushioned Heels, of which the following is aspecification.

The chief .object of'this invention is to provide a shoe .heel having a resilient cushioning member composed in part of an elas tic rubber insert, secured in a heel-shaped body and forming a part of the tread face of the latter, and in part, of a metal spring anchored in said insert, and so projectingtherefrom that a portion of the spring is enclosed in the body, at one side of, and

above the insert, the arrangement being such that the insert and vthe spring collectively cushion an area of the body greater than 'the area. ofthe insert, the major portion of the spring being free to rise and fall without obstruction by the insert and by any other portion of the spring.

I attain the above mentioned and other related objects by the improvements here- 'inafter described and claimed.

"Of the accompanying drawings forming a. part of this specification,-

gure 1 is a perspective view of the resili ent cushioning member.

Figure 2- 1s an edge view of the same. Figure 3' is a section on line 33 of .Fi re 1.

. igures '1, and 3 are considerably enlaliged.

igure 4 is a bottom plan view of a heel embod ing the invention, including a heelshaped body and the resilient cushioning member shown by Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

12 represents a heel-shaped body which, in a heel constituting the preferred embodiment of the-invention, is made entirely of elastic rubber, or a composition containing rubber, and such 'as is commonly used-in the manufacture of so-called: rubber heels. Between the top face 12% and the tread face 12* of the body, is a cavity 13, thetop and'bottbm sides of which are spaced apartfor a purpose hereinafter described. 14 represents an elastic rubber insert, secured in the body 12, and forming a part of the side the insert 14, and fall without obstmction by the insert and tread face thereof, one end of the insert preferably projecting below the tread face 12" as shown by Figure 5.

15 represents a metal spring, constituting an incomplete convolution of a helix. Said spring has a lower end portion 15, anchored in the insert'14, preferably by being embedded in the latter, as shown by and supplements the spring action of the insert 14. V

' The above described parts are assembled before the material of the body 12 and insert 1-1 are vulcanized, the'body and the insert being subsequently united by a vulcanization process.

' The major portion of the spring is outis-free to rise and bg the anchored end portion 151 There is t e refore no interference betweei.-- the free end portion and the anchored end portion, such as would be caused if the springwere composed of complete convolutions, as in an ordinary helical spring.

It Wlll be seen that the insert 14 and spring 15 collectively constitute a heel cushioning member adapted to cushion an areaof the body greater than the area ofthe insert, so that the heel possesses in said area a desirable degree of resilience.

I refer to arrange the spring as shown by igure 4, with its ends relatively near the ortion of the outside edgeof the body whic is subjected to greatest pressure in the act of walking, the spring ends being at the outer margin of the spring, and relatively near the rear portion of the outside edge of the body, the major portion of the spring being farther from said edge portion. By this arrangement I am enabled to utilize the resilience of the spring 15 to the best advantage.

Instead of using a single cushioning memher which includes a spring 15, having a' relatively large diameter, as shown by Fig ure 4, I may use a plurality of said mem-.

bers, each including a spring of smaller diameter.

The described cushioning member may be employed with a body which is composed of leather, or other material not possessing the elasticity of a rubber heel. The insert may be composed of a non-metallic material which does not" ossess the elasticity or compressibility of tie materialof a rubber heel, and has ,a desirable frictional quality. For example, the insert may be composed of cotton duck or canvas, frictibn'cd with rubber and formedinto a cylindrical or other suitable shape, in whichcase the cushioning action is mainly to the metal spring, 3 p v It will be seen that the spring 15'has, the

' form of any ordinary spring washerg composed of an incomplete 'convolutioni and adaptedto rise and fall at one end without obstructionby the other end. Ifthe spring were helical" and composed of more than an a helix, having an 'end portion anchored in said insert, and a major portion outside and due wholly or projecting laterally from the insert and free to'rise andf fall without obstruction by the insert and by the anchored end portion.

2. A. heel comprising a body having a cavity between itstreadand to faces, and a cushioning member composed of a nonmetallic insert secured in the body, and a metal spring constituting an incomplete convolution of a helix, having an end portion anchored in the insert. and'a ma or portion located outside the insert,jprojecting laterally from the insert into s'aid cavity,

antl'free to' rise and fall without obstruction by the 'insert'and by 'the an'chored fend 'portion.

3, Aheel comprising resilient body, and a." cushioning member composed of a 'non-' metallic insert secured in the body, and a metal spring constituting an incomplete convolution of a helix,' havini;' 'an-eud portion anchored in"the"-i nsert,"and a major portion located outside the insert fproje'cting laterally fromthe insert into the body,"a nd -free to rise and fall without obst'ructionby the insert and by the anchored end portion.

4:, A heel substantially "fas specified by claim 3, the said .spring'ibeing arranged with its ends relatively'near the portion of the outside edge of said body'which is' subjected .xto the greatest pressure and ivear.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

WILLIAM} r. MLAU HI3IN 

